Angularly adjustable work-supported guide for portable power saws



Dec. 1, 1953 2,661,034

G. A. MaCDONALD ANGULARLY ADJUSTABLE WORK-SUPPORTED GUIDE FOR PORTABLE POWER SAWS Filed March 11, 1952 INVENTOR 27 GeorgeA. MacDonald,

28B? v u, Pfzifmzazu- Mmwz'alawz I mmT-ml I //Q ATTORNEYS' Patented Dec. l, 1953 ANGULARLY ADJUSTABLE WORK-SUP- PORTED GUIDE FOR PORTABLE POWER SAWS , George A. MacDonald, San Dimas, Calif.

Application March 11, 1952, Serial No. 276,008

This invention relates to guides or rulers and more particularly to an angularly adjustable guide for guiding a portable powersaw across a piece of lumber.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide an improved portable power saw guide which can be mountedon a piece of lumber at the edge of the latter adjacent the operator for guiding a portable power saw across the lumber; which can be adjusted to any desired angle within a range of approximately 180 degrees; which projects a constant extent from the work piece toward the operator to start the saw in the proper direction across the work piece; which can be held in -rm engagement with the work piece by one hand of the operator while the operators other hand is used to guide the saw; which can be folded to a compact condi tion for transportation and storage; and which is simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture, easy to use, and accurate and effective in use.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claim in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portable power saw guide illustrative of the invention shown in operative position on a lumberwork piece;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of one blade of the guide;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the other blade of the guide;

Figure 4 is a transverse cross sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view on an enlarged scale on the line 5 5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view on the line B-I of Figure 2; and

Figure 7 is a somewhat diagrammatic side elevational view showing the manner in which the guide is used to guide a portable power saw.

With continued lreference to the drawing, the guide comprises pvo-tally interconnected blades, generally indicated at I 0 and II. The blade Ill is a at body of elongated, rectangular shape, preferably formed of suitable sheet metal and having at one end an enlargement I2 of partly circular shape which is tangential to one longitudinal edge of the blade and has its center substantially in alignment with the other longitudinal edge of the blade, so that the enlargement extends laterally from such other edge of the 1 Claim. (Cl. 143-6) blade and the extending portion thereof is of substantially semicircular shape. The enlargement i2y has a centrally disposed aperture I 3 therein, the edge ol' which is beveled, as indicated at Ie in Figures li and 5, and has a slot I5 of substantially semicircular shape in the portion thereof which projects laterally from the blade. A degree scale EIS is provided on the enlargement I2 extending through an angle of approximately degrees from one end to the other of the semicircular slot I 5, this degree scale extending partly around the circularly curved edge of the enlargement I?. and partly across the end portion of the blade I0 on which the enlargement is provided, as is clearly illustrated in Figure 2.

A. flange I'i extends perpendicularly from the blade it along the edge of the latter from which the enlargement i2 extends laterally and at the side of the blade remote from the degree scale It, this iiange extending from the enlargement I2 to the end of the blade remote from the enlargement.

The blade il comprises a iiat body or elongated, rectangular cross sectional shape formed of a suitable sheet metal and having an exten sion is of substantially semicireular shape projecting from one edge intermediate the length thereof. The extension l is nearer'one end of the blade l! than the other end, and is provided with a centrally disposed aperture I, the center of which is substantially on the line of the edge of the blade from which the extension projects. The extension Iii is'also provided with a cutaway portion 2t at its side adjacent the longer portion of the blade which cutaway portion provides a pointer 2i. An annular flange 22 surrounds the aperture I9 at one side of the blade I I and this flange is received and expanded in the beveled aperture i3 in the enlargement I2 on the blade I0, as is particularly illustrated in Figure 5, to pivotally secure the blades I@ and II together in superposed relationship relative to each other for relative angular movement about an axis coincident with the centers or" the apertures I3 and I9.

The blade II is superposed on the side of the blade I 0 carrying the degree scale I6, so that the pointer 2I cooperates with the degree scale, as clearly illustrated in Figure 1, to indicate the angularity between the two blades.

The extension I8 on the blade II is provided with an aperture 23 at the side of the extension remote from the cutaway portion 2Q and a headed screw 24 extends through the aperture 23 and through the slot l in the enlargement l2 of the blade IE! and is secured in the aperture in the extension of the blade il. A wing nut 25 is threaded onto the screw 24 and bears against the enlargement l2 at the side of the latter remote from the degree scale I6 and the blade Ii to releasably lock the blade in selected positions of angular adjustment relative to each other.

In using the device, the guide is placed on the top surface of a lumber Work piece 26 with the flange il bearing against the side edge of the work piece adjacent the operator and the longer portion of the blade I l extending across the Work piece. The shorter portion of the blade Il will then project from the work piece toward the operator. The blade Il is either preadjusted or is now adjusted to the desired angular position relative to the blade l0 and locked in position by tightening the nut 25. The portable power saw 2l is now placed adjacent the work piece with the front end of the shoe 28 thereof resting upon the work piece at the edge of the latter adjacent the operatoi` and with the left-hand side of the shoe bearing against the edge of the blade Il remote from the blade l0. The shoe of the saw is then aligned with the portion of the blade li projecting from the work piece toward the operator to start the saw out in the proper direction and the saw is placed in operation and caused to follow the adjacent edge of the blade il across the work piece. If the work piece has a width greater than the length of the blade H the guide and saw may be carried around to the opposite side of the work piece and the cut continued from such opposite side, so that the saw will be positively guided entirely across the work piece.

The saw can be tilted to any desired angle relati* e to its shoe, so that the out can be both beveled and angled, as is necessary in the cutting of jack rafters and certain other frame pieces for buildings.

The invention may be embodied in other' specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claim rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claim are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

A portable power saw guide comprising a first blade in the form of a flat' body of elongated rectangular shape having at one end an ex-i tension of partly circular' shape disposed sub- 4 stantially tangential to one longitudinal edge and projecting laterally from the other longitudinal edge of said body and having a perpendicularly disposed ilange extending along said other longitudinal edge thereof from the end of said body remote from said extension to said extension, said extension having a centrally disposed aperture therein and a concentric slot of substantially semi-circular shape adjacent the edge of the portion thereof extending laterally from said body, a second blade in the form of a flat body of elongated rectangular shape having an extension of substantially Sernicircular shape projecting from one longitudinal edge thereof intermediate the length of such edge butl nearer one end than the other end of said second blade body, said second blade being disposed on the side of said rst blade remote from said ange and said second blade extension having on one side thereoffa circular flange concentric with the center of curvature of the edge of said second blade extension and rotatably received in the aperture in the rst blade extension to connect said blades together for relative angular movement about the center of curvature oi said extension, said first blade extension having an arcuate degreel scale on the side thereof adjacent said second blade and said second blade extension having a cut away portion providing a pointer cooperating with said degree scale to indicate the angular relationship between the longitudinal edge of said iirst blade remote from said flange and the adjacent edge of said second blade, a screw extending from the extension on said second blade through the slot in the exten sion on said first blade, and a nut threaded onto said screw and effective to releasably secure said blades in selected positions of angular adjustment relative to each other, the ilange on said first blade being disposable against the edge of a lumber Work piece adjacent a portable power saw operator with said first blade disposed on the top surface of the work piece and with the longer portion of said second blade extending across the top surface of the Work piece in a direction away from the saw operator to guide the saw across the work piece in a direction away from the saw operator.

GEORGE A. MACDGNALD.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNlTED STAfiE-S PATENTS Number Name Date 1,111,904 Kahrs Sept. 29, 1914 1,331,415 Civitts Feb. 17, 1920 1,608,558 Hannah Nov. 30, 1G25 1,911,045 Tinnen May 23, 1933 2,568,957 Hess Sept. 25, 1951 

